Tuesday, 17 November 2015
Len Brown urged to Stay in Auckland and deal with Auckland matters
Two senior Auckland councillors are urging Mayor Len Brown to reconsider his plans to attend a climate change conference
in Paris.
North Shore councillor and former mayor, George Wood stated that he believes that the mayor needs to be in Auckland
attending to council matters.
“This is an important time of year for council. Over the past months we have been working on the annual plan to give
some political feedback to the mayor for his consideration prior to him presenting the mayoral budget. It’s totally
inappropriate that at this time he has decided to head off to Paris for a climate change forum”.
Howick councillor Dick Quax agrees with his colleague saying that Auckland council business such as setting the budget
should take priority over international junkets.
“The mayor has just one year left in his mayoralty and to me and some of my colleagues it appears that he has completely
abandoned Auckland to attend a climate change meeting of dubious merit especially when one considers that the government
is sending a delegation because it sets the policy framework for climate change not a local mayor”.
The mayor has revealed that his trip is being funded by a third party but that cuts no ice with Cr Wood who like Cr Quax
believes that the mayor’s priorities are in Auckland working for Aucklanders not in Paris.
End